Courier-Post from Camden, New Jersey • Page 32

COURIER-POST, Cherry Hill, N.J. Monday. December 6. 1976 Defense key as Camden captures Group 4 title Sets up 2 TDs, scores 3rd I TY- rout ivef 02 32 South lomsn at. li van od i Courtftr-Pott Photetiv Barbara Pactttr CAMDEN COACH Jim Moore makes a point with.

Woo-rirow Cook 72 on the sidelines Saturday during the 'South Jersey Group 4 footljall championship. -i Fly RUSTY PRAY (urwr-Post Staff You enn all you want to about Camden's of fense; about stable of thoroughbred running backs who nin through broken fields like so many pinballs, bouncing from defender to defender as if guided by the hand of some unseen Pmbrtll Wizard. You can talk, but the fai of the matter is, Camden finished its football season 11-0-0 and as the Group 4 champion on defense. Even in what seemed was a romp over Toms River South, 30-13, at Farnham Park Saturday for the title, Camden's defense, not its offense was the catalyst, r. the Panther defense, led by linemen James Womble and Clinton Sellers, linebacker Su-n Davila and defensive backs Darnell Hinson and Ronald Gillispie, set up two touchdowns and scored another itself.

Camden's defense dominated the game save for the second quarter, when Toms River South mounted two sustained drives and running back Don Hampton gained 67 of his 76 yards! Toms River held the ball for 21 plays in the second quarter, but for only 14 in the entire second half. The Indians met with great rustra-. tion at the hands of Camden's "big-play" defense in the period. Davila came up with the first big play, -an interception of a Mike Saviano pass that he returned 15 yards to the Toms River 20. Three plays later.

Keen an Delts, who finished with 105 of Camden's 115 net rushing Yards, broke three tackles on a sweep for a 15-yard touchdown run. After the Indians' Ray Nelson intercepted Luke. Coleman, Toms River mounted art 85-yard scoring drive that culminated in Larry Sica's one-yard plunge and Smith's place-" ment for a 7-6 lead, Coleman, who for the fourth straight game played well in relief of regular quarterback Nevaughn Norris, brought Camden back after the ensuing kickoff on an eight-play. 55-yard drive. Coleman threw to Nathaniel Person for 31 yards and a first down in a.

fourth-and-15 situation to keep the drive alive. It was a great effort by the quarterback, who threw as he was being forced out of bounds, and the -receiver, who leaped in front of a-defender to make the catch. Four plays later, Coleman again found Person, this time for a 27-yard touchdown connection. "They really had me covered," said Person of his crucial fourth-down grab, one of four he made in the game Courier-Post Photo by Barbara PacMer CAMDEN DEFENDERS Dennis Still (85) and Alvin Gantt (84) literally put the brakes on Toms River South's Scott Wendling (dark jersey) in Saturday's South Jersey Group 4 football championship. The Panthers completed an unbeaten season' with a 3(M3 victory.

Sterling settles down, rolls to Group 3 crown Toms River drove to the Camden five. On third down. Savirmo called an audible, dropped back to pass, and flipped what appeared to be a screen pass to John Donnelly. The ball MI, untouched, on the 20-yard line, where Gillespie, after a few moments of thought and no whsitle, scooped it up and ran 80 yards for the touchdown with 21 seconds remaining. "What can you say?" asked Ton River coach Ron SignorinO after the game.

"We're on their five-yard line and they score a touchdown That was -the ballgame." Not quite. There was another hnlf to play. "I felt at the half." said Camderi coach Jim Moore, "that leading 18-7, we could win it all." "At half time." said Signorino. "I it was still our ballgame I thought we could win it with character." Moore was right. Camden dominated a second half plagued by penalties, scoring the first third-Cjuarter points by any team this season against Toms Rivef to ice the victory.

The Panthers held the ball for more than eight minutes in the third quarter, scoring once on a drive engineered by Coleman after the second-half kickoff and a second time after Hinson recovered a fumble at the Toms River 30. A We lost our chance for the conference title a couple weeks ago (in a tie with Paulsboro) we had to win the pjoup title because we shared the championships (of other senior teams in the past this one would be ours Combs savored the victory. "To me. the last three weeks have provided as much fun as I've ever had. Tragically, some people wrote us off earlier this year.

But the kids hung in and put a nick in the records of three fine teams Paulsboro, Eastern and Deptford) down the stretch." Joe Corbi was philosophical after the loss. "Sure, we took a gamble in the third period. rolled the dice and threw snake eyes," said the Deptford coach. "But that (fake punt) play is one we practice. The kids thought it would work and the game is for the "If we did anything wrong, we had too much individual concentration on Kelley.

It's not taught that way. They are 16 and 17-year-old kids out there. But it (the Group 3 championship game is a start for us. We dressed 36 today and lose 24 we'll be back again." LITS The final quarter-and-a-half degenerated into a personal foul contest with Camden -losing two players Coleman with a slight head injury and Robert WhHfield. who was ejected for punching and 151, yards in penal-' 1 In the second half, Camden was penalized nine times, Toms River South four.

A total of 264 yards in penalties was assessed by the 178 of them in the second Signorino declined to comment on the situation for print but did say he felt the penalties were called Mnrarc. on the other hand, was "This was our worst performance of the year because of the situation that developed on the field i Turns River) didn't come to f.Mtball. They came to har-i it or not, the game ended on thii.i nepntive note, Camden's most opportunistic and most important defensive perfor- mane of the. TOMS RIVER (S) i 0 4-13 CAMDEN 0 II 11 0 30 Touchdowns; Camdcfh Del'r 2 (IS. 4 runsl.

Glllespi (80 with. lateral recovery). Williams 119 P4s from CwemanK. fr4ttl (8 run). lomi RtverSica (1 runi.

Hampton (1 run). Extra point: Toms River Smith (kicM Camden TR FirstrJewns 14 Rushinq yardage t. 115 .12.9 Passing yardage rt IS? 116 Return yardage IOS. 99 Met yardage 379 iu Passes 7-20 -4 Turnovers lost .,2 4 AVE, WESTMONT 01 By JOHN VOGEDING Courier-Past Staff DEPTFORD Sterling High School center Stan Pandza had a ready explanation (or the 27 points scored in the first 13 minutes of Saturday's South Jersey Group 3 championship football game here. "What you saw was a direct result of sky-high emotions on the part of both teams, said the burly 2 1 9-pound center, who capped his scholastic career with a brilliant exhibition of blocking and an alert fumble recovery to account for a two-point conversion.

"After we got past the opening quarter, I think we settled down and took control of things." For the record, Sterling regained the Group 3 title it had won in 1974 with a 28-13 triumph over previously-unbeaten Deptford High. The Silver Knights, behind a tremendous display of offensive power highlighted by the running of fullback Bob Cullen (114 yardson21carries)andthecombined running (12 carries, 92 yards) and passing (5-for-9, 108 yards) of Ken Kelley, amassed over 400 yards in total offense. The outcome could have been worse. The Knights stopped Deptford on the opening series, forcing a punt. Kelley mishandled the ball at his own three, and a devastating hit by Dereck Lyons forced a fumble.

Mike Grabbe recovered and John Paynter's four-yard option run behind Rich Ayres moments later gave the Spartans an early lead. Methodically, Sterling unleashed an eight-play. 64-yard drive. Cullen powered over from the three to draw his team within one point. Explosively, Ed Rothmaller darted behind a clearing block by Robert Paynter on the first play following the kickoff and raced 66 yards up the right sideline to make it 13-6.

Sterling again fired back, marching 70 yards in 10 plays as Kelley opened the second period with a three-yard TD sneak behind the wedge blocking of Pandza, Lou Burley and Pat Sheridan. Kelley found Randy Campbell on the back line of the end zone for sterling DEPTFORD 1J 0 0 11 Touchdowns: SVrlint Cuitefl Orw; Kelley 2 (3. I rum). McHucjn 12 runl; Deptford J. Pavnler (4run); Rothmaller (66 run).

Extrapaoints Sterling CCamobell (pass from Keilev). Pandja recovered lumble tn end rone); DeoHord Manalt (kick) Srer. Deot. First downs 23 10 Rushing yardaoe 31 21 Passing yardage 106 24 Return yardage 61 71 Net yardage 4A4 311 Passes b-9 2-4 Turnovers 2 0 J( I LL PAINT CAR FOR the two-point conversion and the Knights had the lead for good. In fact.

Deptford never again penetrated inside Sterling's 30 until the last minute of the game. Burley. Mike Pavia. Campbell. Don Minter, Kelley, Joe Cirucci and, remarkably, Dave Paulson, took turns delivering the devastating defensive blows for Sterling.

Paulson, who had suffered a dislocated ankle against Overbrook Thanksgiving Day, went through an intense recovery procedure the last eight days to save his starting position at linebacker, prompting Sterling coach Jim Combs to admit Paulson showed tremendous courage and perseverance." The running of Kelley. McHugh, Cullen and Mitchell and the timely, dart-like passes of Kelley enabled the Knights to control the ball much of the second half. Perhaps the most bizarre play opened the flood gates on Deptford late in the third period. Earlier, Sterling had marched 66 yards to Deptford's doorstep before Mike Manall's hit forced the ball loose from Cullen at the goal, causing a touchback and saving a score. Eight plays later, in a punting situation that read fourth-and-25 on the Deptford 15 following a holding call, the Spartans went for the unexpected.

A Jay Mathews' pass from a fake punt formation found Tim Moore for five yards, but a high throw and a traffic jam created by Moore's blockers and Mitchell's defensive coverage aborted the play Moments later, Kelley broke loose on a pass-option play left, cleared the comer on a block by Sheridan and tight-roped the sideline on a 19-yard scoring jaunt that Jeff Pacific insured with a crushing block at the five. The next time the Knights had the ball, McHugh culminated a 10-play 68-yard drive with a two-yarder over left tackle. Pandza collared a fumbled conversion attempt in the end zone for the final points of the game Burley, whose play at defensi veend mirrored the intensity of his play at offensive guard, admitted he nervous and scared in the begini.i., until the hitting started. first quarter, our confidence picki i up. It all came down to blocking and tackling, and I think we did that a little better." Sheridan labeled the final game one dedicated to the seniors.

"Ever since we've been freshmen, a Sterling team has won a championship the Colonial Conferenceor the group title. ANY S3 1119! ONLY YOUR FAVORITE SERVICE SPECIALS LUBE Expert car change using premium oil. filter only $8. for 71 yards. "I broke into a different pattern.

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